David B. Riley rode off into the last, greatest sunset last month. He was a writer and an editor known for his love of Weird Westerns. He published Science Fiction Trails, among other things. From Goodreads, (which I am pretty sure is out of date): “…six novels and over 100 published short stories and has edited nine horror anthologies.” It also lists him with 57 distinct works. I am pretty sure that is out of date as well. You can find his blog here: https://blog.davidbriley.net/
Over the years, David bought a dozen stories or more from me. (He turned down a few as well.) He wasn’t merely an editor I occasionally sold a story to, he was someone I wrote for. I wanted him to like my stories. And, sometimes, he really, really did.
In my early submissions to him, he offered explanations for turning down stories, advice on how to make them better, and links to resources to research the genre (not just links to his own books); a rare thing from editors today.Many writers have MOMENTS in their careers. If you’ve had one, you know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t, then you at least know the oppressive feeling of thinking you should just up and quit that exists between those MOMENTS. One of my first MOMENTS came in the form of an acceptance email from David, for a story called “Working the Salt Mine”.
Are you kidding me? For years I get an endless stream of time travel stories or stories about the Earp brothers, or stories about the Earp brothers travelling through time. And just about each time I think “Why can’t anyone ever send me a story about lizard people? Why? Why?” Then, low and behold, on the last day of submissions, is a story about lizard people. Wow. A contract will be forthcoming.
That was not my first sale, nor my first sale to David, but it was a turning point for me. A point where I realized it was okay if only one person like my story. Especially if that one person REALLY liked my story. (Turned out my Grandad liked that story, too. It was a pretty good one, if I do say so myself.)
After that, I have to admit, I tended to tailor my Weird Westerns toward what I thought David would like. I also have to admit, I was a horrible predictor of what David liked. He turned down stories I thought he would love.I also did a few covers for David. For purposes of the point I am meandering toward, I want to point out the cover I did for Tales From Dry Gulch. https://amzn.to/3anaSUc
Tales From Dry Gulch was David’s brainchild. He created a town and put characters in it, and then he asked authors to write stories in and around that town, using those characters as well as their own. He enjoyed the project enough, he attempted Tales From Dry Gulch 2. I would like to share that cover with you, now, as that project will never happen.
David was in the middle of that project when he decided to cancel it, at least temporarily, and move on. Not only had I made that cover, but I has also submitted a story for it. A story that he promptly requested to include in his latest, and to the best of my knowledge last, project, Six Guns Straight From Hell 3. https://amzn.to/3rTPWtK
That story of mine was “Leaving Dry Gulch on the Midnight Train”. At the time I wrote it, I had no idea that it would be the last “Dry Gulch” story I would write, nor that it would be the last I sold to David. It is hauntingly fitting that it was. A capstone for both.
His co-editor, J.A. Campbell, once told me that story choked her up every time she read it. Now, I have to admit, it chokes me up every time I think about it.
And here is why I come to that.
David really liked that story. So much so, he asked J.A. Campbell, to reach out to me and ask me to submit the story for consideration for the Bram Stoker award. Apparently, David became overwhelmed by the submission process but still wanted it submitted. Flattered, I of course put aside my awkward feelings of submitting myself for consideration and did so. Not very well, apparently, as the story did not end up upon the ballot. But the point is, David had just given me another MOMENT. A really, really good one.
And I never got to talk to him about it.
2020, and now 2021, placed a lot of difficulties upon us all. With that in mind, I would like to ask you to do two things.
First, whether you are a writer or not, if there is someone out there who has bestowed a MOMENT upon you (and if they have, you know exactly what I mean), I would ask that you let them know that they inspired you. It may be awkward, but honestly, there is a decent chance you will be bestowing a MOMENT right back upon them. Really. So please, do it.
Right now, I think we could all use that.
Second, if you like Weird Westerns, if anything I’ve said intrigued you at all, I would like to ask that you buy one of David’s books. Although I have provided links to a couple, I don’t care which one.
I really don’t know what will happen with David’s estate. I don’t know how long any of his books will be available. I believe his brother will end up dealing with everything, eventually, but I just don’t know. I do know, like so many of us, the last few years were very difficult on David and his family. I do know that any income that comes in from the sales of those books would be helpful to them.
And I do know that although I cannot tell David he provided me with another MOMENT, I can share my memory of it with you.
Thank you.
